Free Shamara by Catherine Spangler Page B

him if, even if she wanted to. She couldn't help anyone. "I've already told you, I can't help you."
    "Eirene—"
    She turned away from him. "Leave me alone."
    He didn't touch her, but she felt his words as if they were a laser blast. "I can't do that."
    She rebelled at the implacable finality of his words, silently screaming her refusal to let him win. But right now, the only thing she could do was put a temporary distance between them. "I need to go to the lav." She struggled to push herself upright and to the edge of the bunk.
    "Running from me won't change anything," he said quietly, but he helped her stand. Appalled at her weakness, she held on to him as he walked her to the panel and opened it. "Maybe I'd better go in with you."
    Her eyes widened. "Absolutely not!"
    He grinned at her shocked expression. "All right, little one. I'll give you some privacy. But I'll be here if you need me."
    The tile floor of the lav felt blessedly cool beneath her bare feet. The closed panel gave her some badly needed space from Jarek, from the power he wielded, and her current helplessness. She was disappointed to discover there was no portal or window that might offer the possibility of escape. Not that she could get far in her condition.
    She took care of necessities, then went to the sink and splashed cool water on her face. It felt so alien in here, so different from her simple facilities on Travan. Yet it was every bit as bad as Travan had been, perhaps worse.
    On Travan, she had at least garnered some respect for her healing abilities. Here, she was nothing. Jarek had the upper hand, and she was utterly alone, in a foreign, hostile world. She was sick, tired, and badly shaken. Tears filled her eyes, scorching trails down her face. Distressed at her weakness, she batted at the evidence of her emotional frailty.
    Jarek apparently decided she'd been in the lav long enough. He opened the panel and strode in behind her. She turned her head so he wouldn't see her tears or sense her despair. But it was futile to attempt any distance from this man. She was too vulnerable and, like any true predator, he sensed it.
    He reached toward her, and she sidestepped away. She didn't want him touching her, physically or mentally. "Stay away from me."
    He moved to her and lifted her into his arms with ridiculous ease. She struggled feebly and he tightened his grip around her. "Stop fighting me, Eirene. You can't win."
    She ceased her battle, knowing she couldn't best him right now. But she had no intention of surrendering.
    He carried her to the bunk and lowered her onto the mat, drawing the cover over her. Gently, he smoothed the tears from her cheeks, just as he'd done at the Pleasure Dome. "Sleep now, little one," he murmured. "You'll feel better tomorrow. We'll talk more then."
    She turned her face away, shutting him out of her sight. But she couldn't shut him from her mind. Or stop the fears gnawing at her. She'd escaped from Travan and marriage to a Leor, only to become trapped in a new prison.
    She didn't know if she could escape from this one.
     

 

Chapter Five
     
    Early the next cycle, Jarek slipped into Eirene's cabin. He steeled himself for the coming encounter, knowing she despised him, and with good reason. He had deceived her, leading her to believe she might be dying. He'd stolen her innocence—albeit unknowingly—and her freedom. He had every intention of taking her with him to Aldon, then to the twelfth sector, by force if necessary. His actions were ruthless, dishonorable, and against every Shielder principle of justice. And yet, he saw no other choice.
    Still asleep, Eirene lay curled on her side, her hair forming a glossy curtain across her face. Her chest rose and fell with each soft breath, pushing her breasts against her robe. Jarek remembered clearly how perfectly those sweetly rounded breasts had filled his hands, how responsive they'd been to his touch. He forced back a rush of desire.
    The events in the Pleasure Dome